Join us as Dr. Lina Safa and Dr. Maria Brahme speak to Ileana Muniz, who is a dedicated higher education professional. She speaks about her research on mothers pursuing higher education and the sense of belonging they feel while attending as students in various universities.

Ileana holds a Master of Science in Leadership in Higher Education from Pepperdine University and a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Chicano Latino Studies from California State University, Long Beach. With a robust background in Student Affairs, she has excelled as a Financial Aid Counselor and Student Services Coordinator, demonstrating her commitment to student-centered practices and a focus on holistic student development. Ileana’s passion is deeply rooted in supporting underrepresented students and fostering their academic success and personal growth through guidance, motivation, and empowerment. This passion stems from Ileana’s journey as a first-generation Mexican American and working mother pursuing higher education. Ileana’s most cherished role in life is being a wife and mother to her three wonderful children, who are her biggest inspiration in life and the driving force behind her dedication to empowering and uplifting others.

Join Dr. Lina Safa and GSEP student Peyton Corrigan as they speak on educators and career transition. The skills of K-12 educators need to be more understood, as exposure to teachers through personal academic experiences gives people a false perception of what the job entails. With low pay, lack of opportunity to grow professionally, and increased pressure and criticism for student testing performance, many educators want to leave the classroom and start a new career. Peyton's research describes the steps mid-career educators with years of teaching experience can take to pivot careers successfully. Data collected through informal interviews with former teachers who have transitioned out of the classroom provides insight into K-12 educators' transferable skills, how those skills can help them be marketable for new careers, and what role their purpose and calling to teach plays in a career transition.

Peyton Corrigan graduated from Biola University with a degree in Elementary Education and has taught in South Central, Los Angeles, for 5 years. She recently graduated from Pepperdine's Graduate School of Education and Psychology with a Masters of Science in Organizational Leadership and Learning. She recently moved to Texas to pursue a career outside of classroom teaching and is excited to see where her new degree and career pursuit will take her.

Join us and our guest, GSEP student Nicole Kramer as she discusses workplace dynamics, the impact leaders have on work environments, and what we need to do to remain competitive while being prepared for the vulnerability and uncertainty of the new workforce entering.

With 19 years of experience in the CPG industry, Nicole has collaborated with major companies like Deans, Coca-Cola, and Kellanova (formerly the Kellogg's Company). She has led successful teams and played a crucial role in driving innovation, introducing and sunsetting over 100 products yearly at a Coca-Cola bottling operation. Nicole's wealth of knowledge and diverse expertise enable her to empower individuals and foster growth in the workplace. Additionally, as a dedicated mother and spouse, her close-knit family brings me joy and strength, reflecting my values of love and support. She strives to create an inclusive learning environment that respects everyone's unique contributions to develop an unstoppable future workforce.

This episode features our student, Anna Margaryan, as she examines the challenges faced by school districts as they contend with the demand to provide equitable educational opportunities for a growing number of students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders (EBD). Her research seeks to understand remedies by proposing a comprehensive school-within-a-school model that embeds academic, social-emotional, and behavioral supports.

Join us on this episode to learn more about this fascinating research!

Join us on this special episode hosted by Dr. Lina Safa and Dr. Maria Brahme where a panel of former GSEP students who have achieved their doctorates discuss their journeys of becoming mothers or being mothers while working on their doctoral degrees. If you're pursuing your doctorate while having a baby or taking care of your children, you will definitely want to listen to this episode.

Join us in this episode as our co-host, Dr. Lina Safa speaks to guest, Pepperdine GSEP student Peyton Corrigan on her study on transferable teachers, and mid-career changes occurring in the K-12 space.

The skills of K-12 educators need to be more understood, as exposure to teachers through personal academic experiences gives people a false perception of what the job entails. With low pay, lack of opportunity to grow professionally, and increased pressure and criticism for student testing performance, many educators want to leave the classroom and start a new career. This presentation describes the steps mid-career educators with years of teaching experience can take to pivot careers successfully. Data collected through informal interviews with former teachers who have transitioned out of the classroom provides insight into K-12 educators' transferable skills, how those skills can help them be marketable for new careers, and what role their purpose and calling to teach plays in a career transition.

Peyton Corrigan graduated Biola University with a degree in Elementary Education, and has taught in South Central, Los Angeles for 5 years. She recently graduated from Pepperdine's Graduate School of Education and Psychology with a Masters of Science in Organizational Leadership and Learning. She recently moved to Texas to pursue a career outside of classroom teaching, and is excited to see where her new degree and career pursuit will take her.

Join us on this episode as we talk to doctoral student Destiny Okonkwo about academic creative spaces. This insightful conversation brings a new perspective on creativity and whether or not spaces to be creative are brought into play within academia.

You can read Destiny's bio to get to know more about her.

Destiny k. Okonkwo is a Portfolio Project Manager , Digital Content Creator, and Doctoral Student, specializing in purpose driven operations, compartmentalized organizational management and creative digital content. She is currently studying to attain an Education Doctorate in Organizational Leadership, from Pepperdine University, School of Education and Psychology, with research interest in purpose driven curriculum in high school and impacts to adulthood life and career gratification. Within her current role, she is an IT Project Manager at Easterseals Southern California within the Information Technology department of the organization.

Many women scholars with disabilities, like Dr. Toby Baker, have exemplified the roles of leader, scholar, and teacher. As a woman with a learning disability and ADHD, her research reflects on the actionable steps she has taken to be successful as an academic researcher and scholar. Using relevant data based on her 2021 case study, Dr. Baker shows why post-secondary students with disabilities (SWDs) drop out of college settings and offers solutions for the academic success of SWDs. Additionally, she shares perspectives of college faculty and provide steps for succeeding in college. Most importantly, she relates her own experience as a post-secondary student with a disability. Dr. Baker discusses the challenges faced during college as an undergrad and graduate student, and shares her stories of perseverance, overcoming adversity, and emerging as a respected scholar. Join us in this episode as she discusses her latest book, The Traveling IEP!

Join us in this pivotal episode as we talk with our colleague, Dr. Sharletta Green about the upcoming election, what Project 2025 is and how the elections will impact us in ways which we may not be aware of.

Please note that all opinions are solely of those on the panel and in no way does this reflect the opinions, beliefs and values of Pepperdine University or the Graduate School of Education and Psychology.

Join us in this episode as we speak to our doctoral candidates, Jennifer Banegas and Lizeth Sandoval understanding how DEIB initiatives impact Hispanic graduate students' retention rates. They discuss the significance of furthering this research and create a dialogue on this topic, which will contribute to supporting students and offer a more rounded approach to graduate student retention.